Zinfandel Wine Information Blog

Fruits must be ripe, but not over-ripe. A few shriveled grapes or black currants are unlikely to harm a brew. In the case of larger fruits such as plums, the doubtful ones should be taken out.

The choice of roots (beetroot, parsnips, etc.) for wine-making purposes should not be dismissed so readily. The best, (or even the only) roots suitable for wine-making are those that are old and shriveled. Parsnips that have been stored throughout the winter or left in the soil are at their best for our purpose in March, as are old potatoes purchased in June when the new ones are coming in. They are ideal if they are well shriveled and/or sprouting. (Be sure to break off the roots before using them.)

These old roots contain less starch than the fresher ones, and we do not want starch in wines because it slows down the clearing process. Besides this, when old roots are used, they flavor the wine less, and it is not in the least bit earthy.

It is a mistake to believe that using additional ingredients, (such as less water, or more sugar/yeast), than is indicated in the recipes, will produce a more potent wine. The strength of wine is decided by the volume of alcohol in which the yeast can live and continue to do its work, and not on the quantity of any ingredients. Too much sugar makes the wine far too sweet. More yeast makes no difference at all, simply because it cannot make more alcohol than it can live in. Age makes very little difference to the alcohol content of wines. Too many ingredients will produce a liquid of too high a specific gravity and a liquid containing too many solids per part of water, (in other words a liquid which is too thick) and this will take a very long time to clear.

Because of this, you should never use more ingredients than the recipe indicates.

About Straining:

Fine muslin is best for straining mixtures produced when making root wines. Tie one piece on the tub - allowing sufficient sag - and place a second piece over this.

This top piece containing the solids can be lifted off without letting them fall into the brew. Jelly bags or similar things made of suitable material are needed for fruit juices, as will be seen in the recipes.

About Sugar & Yeast:

You should always use white sugar, and make certain that all the sugar is dissolved before adding anything (like wheat or raisins) to the brew. If all the sugar is not dissolved, the yeast might not ferment properly & some of the sugar could settle in the form of syrup and be left in the lees when they are thrown away. As a result of this, the wine could turn out quite sharp. With a lot of other ingredients in the brew, it is quite impossible to tell whether all the sugar is dissolved or not.

Baker's yeast is all we need during this stage. This can be purchased at your local bakery. Yeast is added at the rate of one ounce per 1, 2 or 3 gallons.

Do not add the yeast too early...as a temperature well below boiling point will destroy the yeast organism and fermentation will not take place.

About The Author

James Wilson owns & operates www.e-homewinemaking.com, a site providing wine-making tips, tricks and techniques. If you're interested in making your own wine, visit www.e-homewinemaking.com today and sign up for the FREE wine-making mini-course!

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Wine needs to breathe wine which has been allowed to breathe tastes better. as wine breathes, it opens up, and releases its intended aromas and flavors. traditionally, decanters were used to aerate wine. however, decanting is time consuming, cumbersome, and inconvenient. vinturi's patent pending design speeds up this process with ease and convenience. perfect aeration in the time it takes to pour a glass. all the taste with none of the wait simply hold vinturi over a glass and pour wine through.

vinturi draws in and mixes the proper amount of air for the right amount of time, allowing your wine to breathe instantly. you'll notice a better bouquet, enhanced flavors and smoother finish. it's that fast. it's that easy.

there's a lot of engineering in there bernoulli's principle states that as the speed of a moving fluid increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases.when wine is poured in the vinturi, its design creates an increase in the wine's velocity and a decrease in its pressure. this pressure difference draws in air, which is mixed with wine for perfect aeration.

but what really matters is vinturi's affect on wine.

better bouquet sample the nose. you'll appreciate the subtle aromatic differences and the full aroma of the wine.

vinturi allows wine to display its intended aromas.enhanced flavorsgo ahead, take a sip. vinturi's wine tastes better. it is more flavorful and has better mouthfeel. it tastes like a richer, more expensive wine. it tastes like it was intended to and is more enjoyable.

smoother finish ahh. vinturi's aeration is very effective at softening tannins which results in a much more pleasant finish. any bitterness or bad aftertaste is reduced or eliminated.

Customer Review: Didn't Pass The Taste Test!

So I bought this for one reason....make my wine taste better right after cracking open a bottle. Does it work?

Well I conducted a blind taste test with my friends. I poured one glass using the aerator and another without. One by one asked my friends which they preferred without them knowing which glass I provided them. They all quickly preferred the one without the use of the aerator. I've done this with other friends and different types of wine, and the consensus is better without.

This was shocking to me, but I also similarly agreed. I wouldn't consider myself the ultimate wine connoisseur, but there's a distinct enough difference in taste that has led everyone to prefer without the aerator.

When I do let the wine breathe for an hour before drinking, I do prefer it more then when it's consumed right after opening the bottle.

Maybe I have to let the wine breathe after using the aerator for 5 minutes before consuming. Well more testing is needed.

If I find a friend that does prefer it in the taste test.....Christmas might be coming a little sooner than he expected :)

I give it 1 star for now, but still going to test further. If I find some ultimate combination of using the aerator and letting it breathe for 10 minutes, I'll let you know and increase my star rating.

Customer Review: Had a crack but worked fine

This was a gift for my mom and her husband and they absolutely love it! The crack hopefully won't turn into a problem later on.
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